This prompt is the second in a series of discussions led by invited speakers at the upcoming 15th National Conference and Global Forum on Science, Policy and the Environment: Energy and Climate Change to be held January 27-29, 2015 in Washington, DC.
Energy and water systems have historically been designed and managed independently. However, the systems are, in fact, interdependent. In its simplest form, the energy-water nexus can be broken into two parts: “energy for water” —the energy required to treat, transport, or heat water—and “water for energy” —the water required for cooling thermoelectric power plants, oil and gas production, hydropower, and bioenergy feedstocks. In the future, the relationship between energy and water systems will evolve, driven by changing energy portfolios and technologies, changing precipitation and temperature patterns, and population growth and migration.
An integrated approach to addressing complex energy-water nexus issues can benefit from technology, policy, data, modeling, and analysis elements. A range of stakeholders can play an important role, including federal/state/tribal/local governments, private industry, NGOs, international organizations, foreign governments, academic institutions, utilities, and citizens.
If the goal is to achieve maximum positive impact at the regional, national, and global scale through an integrated and collaborative approach to the energy-water nexus:
1) What are the key elements that would distinguish such an integrated approach from a traditional approach?
2) How are goals, priorities, and supporting actions best identified and pursued?
3) Who are the key stakeholders, and what are their optimal roles?
References
• Department of Energy, The Water-Energy Nexus: Challenges and Opportunities, U.S. Department of Energy Water-Energy Tech Team, June 2014.
• Water in the West, Water and Energy Nexus: A Literature Review, Stanford University Woods Institute for the Environment and Stanford University Bill Lane Center for the American West, September 2013.
• World Bank, Thirsty Energy, Washington D.C., January 2013.
A prolific and proven technology at utility scale to highlight in this discussion is pumped storage hydropower. It is at the heart of the energy-water nexus, especially when taking into… Read more »
Nate, You are correct in your focus on pumped hydro, but only if we are to move toward a low carbon emission electric power supply. The alternative carbon free renewable… Read more »
I am very glad to see DOE linking the use of extractive energy generation and water as a criteria for future investment planning. To me there is only one conclusion… Read more »
I have prepared a “Gallery of Clean Energy Inventions” exhibit. See https://app.box.com/CLEANENERGYEXHIBIT. Its seven separate exhibits comprise of 41 new types of generators, 16 “Advanced Self-Powered Electric Vehicles” innovations, 25… Read more »
There is water in combusted fossil fuel exhaust, and this distilled water is very usable. Industry and large commercial buildings consume a lot of natural gas for building space heating… Read more »
There are no shortages of proposed pumped storage projects. http://www.ferc.gov/industries/hydropower/gen-info/licensing/pump-storage.asp. While gas plants are flexible, they can’t absorb energy using water in oversupply situations such as with wind in the Northwest… Read more »
The integrated energy-water planning problem for the U.S. is a very complex issue that warrants a comprehensive mathematical/computer modeling approach to properly understand the overall impacts of different policy options.… Read more »
The Department of Energy’s report Water-Energy Nexus: Challenges and Opportunities, U.S. Department of Energy Water-Energy Tech Team, of June 2014 identified the key challenge: Federal oversight and administration of water… Read more »
Wet cooling of turbine exhaust steam at thermal power plants is the largest consumptive use of fresh water. Each kWh of electricity evaporates 1.8 liters of fresh water into the… Read more »
We have serious water supply and access problem that will only be exacerbated by increased energy exploration and use, changes in climate, land use stresses, waste and inefficiency in the… Read more »
Some very insightful comments have been made. Herein lies the challenge: water use for wet cooling constitutes the greatest use of water in power generation. While most new power plants… Read more »
Very quickly… A key element to an integrated policy approach for energy and water will be equal effort to develop – or promote – integrated regulation that can help balance… Read more »